1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to a photoelectric conversion device in which a number of semiconductor elements are sequentially arranged on a substrate in side-by-side relation and connected in series. The invention also pertains to a method for the manufacture of such a photoelectric conversion device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,315,096 a photoelectric conversion device of the type wherein a plurality n (n being an integer greater than one) of semiconductor elements U.sub.i to U.sub.n are sequentially formed side by side on a substrate having an insulating surface and are connected in series one after another.
According to this semiconductor photoelectric conversion device, the semiconductor element U.sub.i (i=1, 2, . . . n) has a first electrode E.sub.i formed on the substrate, a non-single-crystal semiconductor laminate member Q.sub.i formed on the first electrode E.sub.i to form at least one semiconductor junction and a second electrode F.sub.i formed on the non-single-crystal semiconductor laminate member Q.sub.i in opposing relation to the first electrode E.sub.i. The second electrode F.sub.j+1 of the semiconductor element U.sub.j+1 (j=1, 2, . . . (n-1)) is coupled with the first electrode E.sub.j of the semiconductor element U.sub.j through an extension K.sub.j of the second electrode F.sub.j+1.
In such a photoelectric conversion device, in order to prevent lowering of its photoelectric conversion efficiency, it is necessary that the non-single-crystal semiconductor laminate member Q.sub.i and the second electrode F.sub.i be held in good contact with each other for a long period of time.
In the photoelectric conversion device of the abovesaid U.S. patent, however, no particular attention is paid to such a structure that ensures retention of good contact between the non-single-crystal semiconductor laminate member Q.sub.i and the second electrode F.sub.i.
Accordingly, this conventional photoelectric conversion device has the defect that high photoelectric conversion efficiency cannot be maintained for a long period of time.
Further, it is described in the abovesaid U.S. patent that the second electrode F.sub.i is formed by a conductive layer through laser beam scanning. But it is not taken into account that during the laser beam scanning a conductive material forming the conductive layers enters into the non-single-crystal semiconductor laminate member to impair the electrical insulation between the second electrodes F.sub.j and F.sub.j+1. Accordingly, the electrical insulation between the second electrodes F.sub.j and F.sub.j+1 is poor.
Therefore the photoelectric conversion device of the abovesaid U.S. patent has the defect of low photoelectric conversion efficiency.